Chapter 13: Chapter 13

But there was no other sound—no one talking to him, no nervous

scuffling, nothing to indicate he wasn’t alone in there. If he

caught me…

At the bottom of the stairs, I peeked around

the wall to get a good look in the kitchen. To my surprise, those

louver doors were also shut, though they didn’t close all the way

and the gap they left between the wall and the door allowed a shaft

of light to penetrate the darkened kitchen. It illuminated an empty

beer bottle that had been left on the counter which now cast an

amber glow over the sink’s faucet. If I were quick, I could

probably sneak in there, open the fridge really slowly so it

wouldn’t make any noise, grab two bottles of beer, and dash back

upstairs before Mr. Pierce even knew I was there.

I had taken off my shoes earlier. My socked

feet were silent as I inched across the carpet onto the tiled floor

of the kitchen. My heart hammered in my chest, every nerve was on